Carton setting-up machine



A. B. SCACE April 9, 1968 CARTON SETTING-UP MACHINE Fild Feb. 11, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENT OR A. B. SCACE CARTON SETTING-UP MAHINE April 9, 1968 nu t e e h 4 s e Filed Feb. ll, 1966 INVENTOR A. B. SCACE April 9, 1968 CARTON SETT ING"UP MACHI NE Filed Feb. 11, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofitice 3,375,797 Patented Apr. 9, 1968 CARTON SETTING-UP MACHINE Arthur B. Scace, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to F. N. Burt Company, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 526,872 7 Claims. (Cl. 93-51) This invention relates to machines for performing the setting-up operation on box blanks and the like wherein the setting-up operation involves the engagement of a corner lock formed on the box blank.

The machine involved here is generically similar to the one disclosed in the United States patent 2,995,991 to F. B. Trelford, owned by the assignee of the present application.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved device associated with the forming plunger or mandrel to insure the interlocking of the side and end walls of the box by giving a positive snap action to the locking tongues provided on the cor- FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the pertinent portion of a box-forming or setting-up machine embodying the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing one of the snap interlock members carried by the mandrel or plunger, as viewed from the inside of the box end, and at an early stage of the setting-up operation;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view from a slightly different angle at a further stage in the process;

FIGURE 4 is a similar view at a still further stage;

FIGURE 5 is a view in vertical section of the pertinent mechanism, in the final position of the interlocking operation;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the mandrel showing the snap-locking element in side elevation;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a box in erected interlocked condition after being subjected to the setting up operation of the novel machine.

Before describing the novel setting'up machine in detail, it would be well to consider the general type of box or carton to which it is most adapted for erecting or setting-up purposes. An exemplary disclosure of a box of this general characteris shown at 10 in FIGURE 8 of the drawings. The body of the box comprises a bottom panel 12, side walls 13 and 14 hinged thereto along crease lines 15 and 16 respectively, and end walls 17 and 18 hinged to the bottom panel 12 along the lines 19 and 20.

In this particular embodiment a lid or cover panel 22 is hinged to the side wall 14. as at 23 and the end walls 17 and 18 have fold-over flaps 24 and 25 hingedly secured thereto, but the present invention is not concerned with these features.

In each of the end panels 17 and 18 is formed a slit with an angular configuration, the vertical portion of the slit being indicated at 27 and the upper sloping portion at 28, and the area subtended by the angle of the slit which may be indicated generally at 30 is adapted to be sprung outwardly of the confines of the box to receive interlocking tabs projecting from the side walls 13 and 14.

The wrap-around side wall tabs 32 are preferably tapered somewhat having an inclined upper edge 33 and a vertical outward edge 34 together with an inclined or curved bottom edge 35. The tabs 32 are all slit vertically from the upper edge 33 as indicated at 36 and this provides a bendable tongue portion 40 having an angular tip 40, which positively interlocks with the slit 27-28 formed in the end flaps 17 and 18 as clearly shown in the completed set-up carton 10 of FIGURE 8.

Referring first to FIGURE 1 of the drawings and bearing in mind the general aspect of the prior patent to Trelford, the pertinent portions of the machine itself may be described as follows:

At there is suggested a portion of one of the main frames of the machine and extending upwardly from each side of this supporting frame are the pillars 51, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5 of the drawings. A cross beam 52 of generally I-beam configuration bridges the machine and is associated with each of the pillars 51 in supporting the vertically reciprocable mandrel or forming plunger 55.

For this purpose there is provided 21 depending mandrel supporting column 56 which may also be of generally I-beam section, the upper end of which is bolted as at 57 to the bottom flange of the cross beam 52. The lower end of the column 56 is secured to the mandrel plate as by means of bolts, one of which is shown at 58. The mandrel plate 55 is adapted to be vertically reciprocated through certain novel forming die structures in order to set-up the box blanks as they are fed beneath the mandrel plunger plate 55. These die structures will now be described in detail.

Surrounding the die :mechanism are the bounding frame pieces 60 and they are suitably supported from the frame 50. The forming die structure for the opposite ends of the device comprises the centrally disposed vertically extending blocks 62. This block 62 has an angular slot 63 formed therein which provides a cam surface to be described presently. Upon each side of the slot 63 the upper inner edges of the block 62 are curved as indicated at 64.

Outwardly of each side of the block 62 corner folding blocks 65 are provided, these blocks being of a peculiar formation whereby the greater portion thereof is provided with a gently curved corner portion 66 and the inward portions are made to follow a generally similar curvature but with an inclined intermediate portion 67 and a rather narrow edge portion 68 for the purpose to be described in connection with the operation of the machine.

Both the block 62 and the blocks 65 are keyed to the rails or frame pieces 60 as indicated at 60' to present the possibility of adjustment therealong.

The lateral portions of the die structure which serve to initially fold the side walls 13 and 14 include any required number of intermediate rollers 70, two upon each side of the die being shown in the drawings. These rollers are mounted on the supporting shafts 71, the respective ends of the shafts being socketed in the corner block structures 72 which are positioned in contact with or closely adjacent the blocks 65 forming portions of the end structure. The upper inner corners of the blocks 72 are rounded off as at 73.

Thus far there has been described the basic plunger and die structure for folding the box walls and flaps and initiating the interlock of the corner structures. Howtabs through the slits in the adjacent walls and the mechanism for accomplishing this final interlocking action will now be described.

Secured against the opposite flanges of the column 56, as by means of the bolts 75, are the side plates 76, the opposite ends of which are provided with openings for the reception of the trunnions or pintles 78 which serve to support the blocks 79 for the swinging suspension of the arms or plates 80. The upper or proximate ends of these plates 80 are adjustably secured to the blocks 79 by means of the bolts 82 passing through the slots 83.

In order to urge the depending plates 80 resiliently apart, rods 185 are :pivotally connected as at 86 to the inward faces of these plates 80 and their opposite ends suggested at 88 pass through the web portion of the column 56 and have a stop nut 89 applied thereto for the purpose of limiting the outward swinging movements of the plates 80. Coil springs 90 surround the rods 85 and urge the arms or plates 80 toward their outer limits of movement.

Secured as by means of the screws 91 to the lower or distal ends of the plates 80 are the peculiarly shaped tab snapping or pull through finger devices 95 which devices are adapted to complete the interlocking of the corner structures of the carton. These instrumentalities are adapted to move within the recess or cutaway portions 96 of the upper surface of the mandrel plate 55 as clearly shown in FIGURES l and 5 of the drawings.

These snap devices are shown to best advantage in FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawings and comprise the substantially rectilinear body portions 96 and the curved and tapered oppositely projecting and laterally bent prongs or blades 100.

The operation of the device in setting-up a box of the general type suggested in FIGURE 8 of the drawings will now be described.

The fiat box blanks are fed, by any suitable mech anism, in a horizontal plane over the die structure and beneath the forming plunger or mandrel plate 55 with the end wall portion of the blank disposed above the end wall folding structures 62-68 and the side wall portions of the blank disposed above the side wall forming structures 70-73 inclusive.

Upon the initial stages of the descent of the mandrel plate 55, the end walls 17 and 18 will be progressively bent upwardly along the hinge lines 19 and 20 by their sliding contact with the curved edges 64 of the central block 62 and the curved edges 68 of the side blocks 65, and they will assume the transitory position illustrated in FIGURE 2. At the same time the somewhat lower curved surface 66 of the end blocks 65 will cause the flaps 32 of the side wall 13 to begin their upward bending movement. Almost immediately after the stage shown in FIGURE 2, the side walls 13 and 14 will begin to bend upwardly about the crease lines 15 and 16 due to the sliding movement around the curved surfaces 73 of the blocks 72 and the surfaces of the rollers shown at 70.

At the point illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the edge 68 of the block 65 will press upon the outward portions 30' of the side wall 17 between the slit 27 and the margin of the wall and this will leave the angular portion of the wall bounded by the slits 27 and 28 in a slightly outwardly projecting position for the reception of the end flaps 3-2 of the side walls 13 and 14, including the bendable tongue portion 40.

A further stage of progress of the blank through the die is shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. At this point the side walls 13 .and 14 are approaching vertical position, the end walls 17 and 18 have practically arrived at an approximately vertical position, and the ends of the flaps 32 of the side walls have entered the angular slit 27, 28 inside of the protruding corner portion 30.

At the same time the pull-through fingers or blades 100 on the snap device 95 have come into position behind the angular portions 30 (which of course aids in pressing these portions outwardly and keeping the slits 27, 28 open for the entry of the flaps 32). The forward portions 40 of the flaps 32, entering the angular slit 27, 28, have now moved to a position behind the ends of the curved points of the blades 100 as clearly shown in FIGURE 3.

Further downward movement of the blank around the curved surface 73 of the side blocks 72 causes the flaps 32 to advance further into the angular slits and behind the blades 100 until the position is reached approximating that shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, wherein both the end walls and the side walls are in approximately vertical position, and only the remaining angular tip 40' of the flap portion 40 of the flap 32 adjacent the slit 36 is outside of the slit portion 28. All that remains now is for the remaining tip 40' of the portion 40 to be pulled -or snapped through the slit portion 28 into interlocking position behind the portion of the end wall 17 above the slit 28.

Now during the descending movement of the plunger plate 55 certain follower studs 105 secured to and projecting outwardly from the snapper plates have moved in the slot 63 formed in the center blocks 62 and down the guide surface 106. During the initial stages of the downward movement the snap blades with their prongs are in their outermost positions wherein they hold the corner portions 30 of the end walls in projected position and permit the entry of the flaps 32 behind them, "but during further movement the follower studs moving down the inclined surfaces 106 move the snap blades inwardly and during this movement the tip portions 40 of the flaps are snapped inwardly of the slit 28 and the corners are locked in position as shown in FIGURE 8 of the drawings. This final released position of the plunger parts is clearly shown in FIGURE 5 of the drawings.

Thus the box is completely set up and ready for removal from the machine, this removal being effected upon the withdrawal of the former or mandrel plate 55 upwardly by the projections 110 associated with the end blocks 62 or 65, which projections at this point overlie the end wall portions of the carton 10 and prevent upward movement thereof, whereupon the cartons may fall upon a suitable receptacle or conveyor to be carried from the machine.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as determined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A setting-up device for erecting cartons from flat blanks, such cartons comprising a bottom panel, pairs of oppositely disposed side wall panels connected to the margins of said bottom panel by score lines, the side wall panels of one of said pairs having slits therein adjacent their respective opposite end portions, and the panels of the other of said pairs having flaps adapted to fold around said opposite ends of said first named side wall panels and be received through said slits to interlock the corner structure of the carton, said device comprising, in combination, a die structure and a mandrel structure, said mandrel structure including a plate portion generally rectangular in plan and having a bottom surface adapted to engage the bottom panel of a carton blank within the score lines defining said panel, means mounting said mandrel structure for reciprocating movement through said die structure, said die structure comprising guide blocks having surfaces configured to fold said opposite pairs of said wall panels toward positions at substantially right angles to said bottom panel as the blank passes through the die structure, and certain of said guide blocks adjacent the corners of the blank having surfaces configured to in-fold said flaps around the outer surfaces of said slitted wall panel; and means for snapping terminal portions of said tabs through said respective slits as one of the final operations in erecting the car-ton, said last named means comprising a pair of arms having their proximal ends pivotally secured to a portion of said mandrel structure one on each side thereof, a tabsnapping member secured to the distal end of each of said arms and having prongs extending in opposite directions therefrom to press against areas of the slitted panels in wardly of said slits to simultaneously open said slits for the reception of said tabs and to overlie the incoming terminals of said tabs as they enter the slits, and finally to snap said terminal portions through the slits to interlock the corner structure of the carton; and cooperating means on said arms and on said die structure for moving said tab-snapping member inwardly of the carton to accomplish said snap action.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said tab-snapping members comprises a plate-like central body portion secured to the distal end of one of said arms, and attenuated and outwardly curved bladed prong portions extending in opposite directions from said central body portion.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 in which said mandrel structure includes a central post member supporting said plate portion, a cross arm structure extending in opposite directions from said post member and spaced from said plate portion, the proximal ends of said tab-snapping arms being pivotally secured to the respective opposite ends of said cross arm structure, a pair of guide rods having their outer ends pivotally secured respectively to intermediate points on said arms and having their opposite ends passing through openings in said post member, coil springs surrounding said rods and compressed between said arms and said post member to yieldably urge said arms in outward directions with respect to said carton.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1 in which spring means are provided for urging said arms in opposite outward directions with respect to said mandrel structure, certain of said guide blocks on opposite sides of said die have cam grooves therein of varying depth, and fol lower elements on said arms are adapted to move in said grooves to swing said arms inwardly against the urging of said spring means to effect the tab-snapping operation.

5. The device as set forth in claim 2 in which spring means are provided for urging said arms in opposite outward directions with respect to said mandrel structure, certain of said guide blocks on opposite sides of said die have cam grooves therein of varying depth, and follower elements on said arms are adapted to mOVe in said grooves to swing said arms inwardly against the urging of said spring means to effect the tab-snapping operation.

6. The device as set forth in claim 3 in which certain of said guide blocks on opposite sides of said die have cam grooves therein of varying depth, and follower elements on said arms are adapted to move in said grooves to swing said arms inwardly against the urging of said springs to effect the tab-snapping operation.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said tap-snapping members comprises a plate-like central body portion secured to the distal end of one of said arms, and attenuated and outwardly curved bladed prong portions extending in opposite directions from said central body portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,189 12/1951 Pagendarm 935l 2,741,957 4/1956 Haas 935l 2,864,287 12/1958 Johnson et a1. 93-51 2,929,302 3/1960 Brown 93-51 3,125,007 3/1964 Jaroff et a1. 93-5l WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SETTING-UP DEVICE FOR ERECTING CARTONS FROM FLAT BLANKS, SUCH CARTONS COMPRISING A BOTTOM PANEL, PAIRS OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE WALL PANELS CONNECTED TO THE MARGINS OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL BY SCORE LINES, THE SIDE WALL PANELS OF ONE OF SAID PAIRS HAVING SLITS THEREIN ADJACENT THEIR RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS, AND THE PANELS OF THE OTHER OF SAID PAIRS HAVING FLAPS ADAPTED TO FOLD AROUND SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID FIRST NAMED SIDE WALL PANELS AND BE RECEIVED THROUGH SAID SLITS TO INTERLOCK THE CORNER STRUCTURE OF THE CARTON, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A DIE STRUCTURE AND A MANDREL STRUCTURE, SAID MANDREL STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PLATE PORTION GENERALLY RECTANGULAR IN PLAN AND HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE BOTTOM PANEL OF A CARTON BLANK WITHIN THE SCORE LINES DEFINING SAID PANEL, MEANS MOUNTING SAID MANDREL STRUCTURE FOR RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID DIE STRUCTURE, SAID DIE STRUCTURE COMPRISING GUIDE BLOCKS HAVING SURFACES CONFIGURED TO FOLD SAID OPPOSITE PAIRS OF SAID WALL PANELS TOWARD POSITIONS AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL AS THE BLANK PASSES THROUGH THE DIE STRUCTURE, AND CERTAIN OF SAID GUIDE BLOCKS ADJACENT THE CORNERS OF THE BLANK HAVING SURFACES CONFIGURED TO IN-FOLD SAID FLAPS AROUND THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID SLITTED WALL PANEL; AND MEANS FOR SNAPPING TERMINAL PORTIONS OF SAID TABS THROUGH SAID RESPECTIVE SLITS AS ONE OF THE FINAL OPERATIONS IN ERECTING THE CARTON, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ARMS HAVING THEIR PROXIMAL ENDS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO A PORTION OF SAID MANDREL STRUCTURE ONE ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, A TABSNAPPING MEMBER SECURED TO THE DISTAL END OF EACH OF SAID ARMS AND HAVING PRONGS EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS THEREFROM TO PRESS AGAINST AREAS OF THE SLITTED PANELS INWARDLY OF SID SLITS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY OPEN SAID SLITS FOR THE RECEPTION OF SAID TABS AND TO OVERLIE THE INCOMING TERMINALS OF SAID TABS AS THEY ENTER THE SLITS, AND FINALLY TO SNAP SAID TERMINAL PORTIONS THROUGH THE SLITS TO INTERLOCK THE CORNER STRUCTURE OF THE CARTON; AND COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID ARMS AND ON SAID DIE STRUCTURE FOR MOVING SAID TAB-SNAPPING MEMBER INWARDLY OF THE CARTON TO ACCOMPLISH SAID SNAP ACTION. 